Illegal quarrying by PRP Granites caused Rs 620 cr loss: Govt

Madurai: Tamil Nadu government Wednesday told the Madras High court that as per a first evaluation report on PRP Granites, facing criminal proceedings in a multi-crore granite quarry scam, it was found that the company had caused loss to the tune of Rs 620 crore to exchequer by illegal mining in one of the quarries.

In an appeal challenging a single Judge`s order directing the government to permit the company to do mining and allow the offices to function, after seizing required documents concerning the illegal mining, Advocate General Navaneethakrishnan said the evaluation was in a detailed manner, adding, the court had been given the "model of evaluation".

Counsel for PRP granites contended that none of the cases filed against it regarding illegal mining attracted IPCprovisions.

Navaneethakrishnan said 28 quarries had been inspected so far and it had been found that illegal quarrying had been done in the government land beyond permitted area.

Justice K N Basha and Justice Devadoss said "on the one had the government had stated that they had no objection to mining granite while the company was not doing mining operation. It was a peculiar case in which both civil and criminal code provisions had been extensively quoted".

The allegations against PRP Granits were of serious nature, though it had not yet been proved, Justice Basha said and pointed out that the "government gad allowed mining. But for some reasons the PRP officials did not have the guts to operate the mines. If they were absconding....Who should be blamed?"

He said police had seized documents in the presence of the company officials and now evaluation was going on. After the Police filed the FIR, all the partners and officials of the company absconded. The Problem had been invited by the company officials, the judge said.

Navaneethakrishnan said they needed two weeks time to complete the evaluation and sought to post the case for further hearing after two weeks.